W-2 Statement

W-2 statements were sent home with the clients today. If for some reason the statement does not make it home, the please contact either Tom or Rachel right away! Thanks!

Start the New Year Right!

It's always at this time of year when people reflect and think about New Year's resolutions.

They think about the year to come and all the things that they would like to accomplish.

In Bridges, we're not any different. We would like to start the year out right and focus on our goals for the year. As you know, each client has an IP (Individual Plan) that is created at an annual staffing. However, we would like to ask that we have an additional staffing this January. (This additional staffing will help in getting all the i's dotted, and t's crossed for our files in preparation of funding changes as well.)

A note is being sent home today asking for your availability this January.

Please note: We will not have a staffing for group home or residential clients.

Holiday Treats!

It's the holidays, so what does that mean to all of us in BRIDGES????

TREATS!!!!

Today, the Bridges clients made all sorts of chocolate covered treats. Everyone seemed to have a fun time dipping pretzels, cookies and marshmallows into the chocolate. Can you guess who was the best at it????? MEGAN!!!

Megan was very careful and did the best job with the sprinkles!

And a BIG thank you to Kathy for doing such a great job washing all the dishes!

Expanded county dial-a-ride services to start in February

By KEVIN P. CRAVER - kcraver@nwherald.com

Expanded county dial-a-ride services to start in February

McHenry County’s expanded dial-a-ride transit service will start rolling in February.
The new service, which partners county providers with Pace, will give county residents as of Feb. 13 the option of traveling to and from Crystal Lake, McHenry and Woodstock, as well as Valley Hi Nursing Home in Woodstock and the Fox Lake Metra station. Seniors 65 years and older and people with disabilities also can travel to and from destinations in McHenry and Dorr townships. The system also is open to clients of Pioneer Center for Human Services, which helps people with mental disabilities.

The three cities currently have access to Pace Dial-a-Ride, but they cannot leave their respective city limits, McHenry Township Supervisor Donna Schaefer said.
The new system, among other things, will give seniors and other residents the ability to travel to federal, state and local government offices in the county seat of Woodstock.
“It’s badly needed; there is no way for people who depend on dial-a-ride services now to get from one town to another,” Schaefer said. “This will help people find employment, and it will certainly help seniors and the disabled who cannot use the traditional route system, which in itself is very limited within the county.”
Pace presently maintains three fixed routes in McHenry County. The agency has balked at additional routes because the county’s layout makes traditional city routes impractical and because of low ridership on the existing routes.
The new system will be subsidized in large part by a quarter-percent sales tax that county residents pay for transportation and public safety improvements. The McHenry County Board in September voted to allocate $275,000 of the new tax’s receipts to get the expanded dial-a-ride program going.
Local officials and their General Assembly representatives have long complained that McHenry County is a “donor county” that pays more into the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority, than it gets in return. Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley, who also is the county’s representative on the Pace Board, is hopeful that the new system is the start of a greater return on local taxpayers’ investment.
“The fact of the matter is that on-demand transit, which is what dial-a-ride is, is the only model of public transportation from a busing standpoint that is going to be efficient and effective in this county,” Shepley said.
The General Assembly in 2008 doubled the RTA sales tax on the collar counties to half a percent. It also added the quarter-percent tax for county governments to spend on local projects, in part to placate suburban lawmakers upset with paying more. All three of McHenry County’s state representatives and both its state senators opposed the tax increases.
The system, if successful, may be joined by other governments. Algonquin and Nunda townships will watch how the new system works, Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner Robert Miller said. His township received $20,940 from the sales tax to help track the rides offered by its senior transportation service.
“This is step one. We’re seriously considering it. The whole idea is to work together, but we want to see how it works,” Miller said.
County residents first must register to become eligible to ride the system, and must make ride appointments one day in advance. Rides will cost $3 cash per one-way trip.

• • •
What it means

McHenry County’s expanded dial-a-ride service will begin Feb. 13, 2010. It will allow the public to make trips within and to the cities of Woodstock, McHenry and Crystal Lake, as well as Valley Hi Nursing Home and the Fox Lake Metra station. People older than 65 and people with disabilities also can travel to destinations in McHenry and Dorr townships, outside of Bull Valley.
How to ride

A one-time registration is required to participate, and people are advised to register before Feb. 1.

People can register online at www.mchenrycountydot.org, or call Transportation Planner Sarah Lutz at 815-334-4985 with any questions. Rides must be scheduled one day in advance by calling 800-451-4599 or 888-454-4724 for TTY. The first appointments for registered riders will be taken Feb. 12.

Registered riders can travel from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. All one-way trips are $3, and there are no discounted or multiride fares. Fares must be paid in cash, and trips are curb-to-curb and wheelchair accessible.

Sources: McHenry County, Pace

Copyright © 2009 Northwest Herald. All rights reserved.

Steffan’s Offers “Helping Others” Charm to Benefit Pioneer

Steffan's Jewelers proudly announces that Pioneer Center of Human Services will be the recipient of multiple fund raising programs spearheaded by the store’s marketing department. Steffan’s owner, Suzanne Cannon, remarks, “I was dismayed to read about the dramatic cutbacks. The Center provides valuable services that extend beyond individuals. The first of these marketing efforts was an art contest to obtain a design for a charm that Steffan’s will manufacture and sell with the proceeds going directly to Pioneer Center. Lauen Pytel is the winner of the “Helping Others” design contest. Her design has been made into both a pendant and a charm that are on sale for a LIMITED TIME only at Steffan's. All proceeds from this special edition jewelry go directly to Pioneer . The Sterling Silver "Helping Others" charm is on sale for $25 during the holiday season.
Steffan's is located at 325 N. Front Street, McHenry, IL 60050

Pictured are Lauen Pytel and Suzanne Cannon and the winning design.

December 23rd Party

The Annual Holiday Party will be on

December 23rd at Pioneer Center.

In the morning, Bridges clients will play Holiday Bingo.

At 10:30, there will be a Holiday Sing along in the Pioneer Industries areas.

Clients may look though our CD's for a song, or can bring one of their own.

Bridges clients will be eating lunch around 12:00.
Lunch will be catered with the following menu: Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Green Beans, Macaroni Salad

The DJ will start the dance party around 12:45!

What a fun way to celebrate a great year! See you there!

(Oh, and a couple of folks have been asking about treats. We're going to have so much food on the 23rd, we think that we have this covered. However, we don't like saying "no" to treats, so we'd be happy to take treats on the 18th, 21st, or 22nd.)

H1N1 Note

A note was sent home on Monday, did you get it???

A note was sent home asking for interest in getting a H1N1 vaccine. The Nurses are asking for a response by THIS FRIDAY?

Please get this in Right away to so that we can get enough for everyone.

(If you don't know what we're talking about, please call!!!)